Avon Officials To Host Meetings On Solarize Programs

Avon residents can learn about a solar power program at upcoming meetings

AVON — Presentations where residents can learn about a program to put solar power roof panels on their homes will be held on Jan. 13 and again in February and March.

Avon is among 15 communities participating in the latest phase of the Solarize Connecticut program, in which a contractor is chosen to install home solar power systems. The intent is that by getting enough homeowners to participate it lowers the cost for individuals to have a system installed on their home.

The meeting on Jan. 13 will be at 7 p.m. in the Avon Free Public Library's community room. Two more are planned for Feb. 10 and March 4 and those meetings will also be at 7 p.m. at the library, according to an announcement from the town.

Town officials have said they are pleased with the response so far. A kick-off meeting was held on Nov. 20 and Town Manager Brandon Robertson said in an announcement of the three upcoming workshops that 80 residents signed up for an assessment of their homes to see if they are suitable for solar power. According to Robertson, six homeowners in town have signed contracts with the installer.

Solarize Connecticut is run by the state's Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority and got started in 2012. So far 42 communities have participated.

Most of the towns neighboring Avon have already participated. Canton did it last year and 31 homeowners there had solar power systems installed through the program. Simsbury and Farmington were in a phase that concluded earlier this past fall. Officials said that in Simsbury 80 homeowners signed up and in Farmington the number was 90.

In addition to Avon, the communities in this latest phase are Burlington, East Granby, Griswold, Lyme, Milford, New Canaan, New Hartford, Old Lyme, Southbury, Suffield, South Windsor, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Weston, according to Solarize Connecticut's website.

People will have until March 27 to enroll in the Solarize program, according to the town.